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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND SPELLING
Boboyorova Madinabonu
Chirchik State Pedagogical University
4th year student of the Faculty of Tourism
Foreign Language and Literature (English)
Amedova Muyassar Ataxanovna
Supervisor: Teacher of Chirchik State Pedagogical University
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15093848
Abstract
: Communication is a vital tool that enables interaction among people. The
information and communication technology revolution has resulted in easy and free access to
various social media sites that allow users to receive and send messages. However, because
this revolution has altered the information world, it also threatens effective communication.
This study examined the effect of social media English on students' spelling ability. The
researchers recommended that for students to achieve effective communication, they should
maintain the habit of clarity in their written communication and not rely on social media
English.
Keywords:
Social media English, abridged spellings, English Language, Effect,
Undergraduates.
INTRODUCTION
Alassiri (2014) posits that people become more dependent on media that satisfy their
needs than on media that provide only a few. When people find pleasure in that particular
medium that provides their needs, they will be more inclined to continue to use that medium.
As the media and social system overlap, the media, therefore, have a substantial effect on its
users who wholly depend on it to derive satisfaction. According to Asad and Mamun (2012),
people live in a world where technologies evolve daily, and people adopt new information,
lifestyles, languages, et cetera. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo
Messenger, Google Plus, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, and others are prevalent among
young people and significantly influence them (Asad and Mamun) (2012). Young people
believe that what they do on social media is a trend; if they follow those trends, people will
think they are smart. However, there is evidence that social media impacts the language
acquisition of young learners. Young people are now mostly connected with people through
social media, so they are unintentionally or intentionally following the trend of language
acquisition.
Thus, Alassiri (2014) argued in communication skills that spelling is a form of
communication that falls under the written form of communication and also requires a
combination of letters to form words, which then form sentences to pass across a message or
exchange meaning. According to Alassiri (2014), spelling is the selection and arrangement of
letters that form a word. Spelling is critical in communication because it creates words that
aid in sharing meaning. The significance of correct spelling cannot be overstated; as correct
spelling completes the communication circle through the meaning embedded in the correctly
spelt word.
Most students today use different social media platforms to communicate, and
incomplete or unpopular spelling seems to form the most common means of communication
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as it is an informal communication style. For instance,
'Lol' (Laugh Out Loud), 'ILuv U' (I Love
You), 'Cum' (Come), 'Hbd' (Happy Birthday), 'Llnp' (Long Life And Prosperity) 'U' (You), Tjn' (In
Jesus Name), 'Omg' (Oh My God), 'Tok 2 Me' (Talk To Me), 'Twimc' (To Whom It May Concern).
Other examples are
'Winer' (Winner) 'Brb' (I Will Be Right Back), 'Kising' (Kissing), 'Helo'
(Hello), and 'Ppl' (People).
The concern is that students who frequently use the abbreviated
method of writing when online tend to practise the same method during formal writing in the
classroom. To this effect, social media spelling is gradually taking over written communication
and indirectly jeopardizing students' usage of the Standard English language. Therefore, this
paper examined the effect of social media English on students' spelling ability and the pros
and cons of the effect of social media English on students' writing ability.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Communication is a vital tool that people use to interact with one another. The
information and communication technology revolution has resulted in easy and free access to
various social media sites that allow users to receive and send messages. However, because
this revolution has altered the information world, it also threatens effective communication.
Communicators on social media use language that is pleasing or appealing to them at random.
Many students are well-versed in social media, and because they are so immersed in it, they
use languages that appeal to them, one of which is abridged spellings.
Abridged spellings on social media can sometimes cause the intended messages
meaning distorted, resulting in communication failure. According to Mahmoud (2013), some
researchers are concerned that abbreviations, word shortening, and other violations of
grammar rules may cause unintentional meaning to standard English, resulting in future
communication barriers. The communication cycle becomes distorted when there is a
communication barrier, and the meaning is completely lost. One major issue with using
abridged spellings in communication is the limited number of characters per message.
This limitation has impacted many undergraduates' written communication due to the
need to be compacted to fit within this limit while communicating effectively on social media.
Given that the use of social media language is common and prone to misunderstanding, there
is a need to empirically investigate the effect of social media English on undergraduate
spelling ability.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study are to:
examine the extent to which Redeemer's university undergraduates use abridged
spellings to communicate on social media.
determine the effect of social media English on the spelling ability amongst Redeemer's
university undergraduates
ascertain the attitude of Redeemer's university undergraduates on using social media
English for communication.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Salaudeen and Lawal (2019) investigated the impact of social media on the traditional
writing skills of mass communication students at a private university in southwestern Nigeria.
The study employed a multilevel sampling strategy that included purposive, stratification, and
total population sampling. A total of 143 answer scripts from a first-year writing course in the
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Department of Mass Communication were examined using content analysis. The study
discovered that, in the case of mass communication students, social media does not have the
same overwhelming negative impact on writing competence as it does on undergraduate
students. According to the findings, other factors, such as writing training, interplayed with
social media to cause poor writing competence among university undergraduates.
Osakue, Oluranti et al. (2018) investigated the impact of social media on the English
writing abilities of Nigerian youths. Data was collected using 110 copies of a survey
questionnaire distributed to selected students. FGDs with students, in-depth interviews with
some tertiary institution lecturers, and the researchers' direct observation of the issue under
investigation provided additional information. The study discovered that most youths
adopted an English variant that cannot be found in the Standard English (SE) matrix or even
the popular Nigerian English variant known as Pidgin English (PE). The study also discovered
that expressions like 'u' for 'you' are incorrect. 'gr8t' for 'great,' 'ur/urs' for 'your/yours,' and
other deviational patterns have crept into students' writing consciousness in classes and
examinations, making a lot of 'sense' in informal settings among youths but smacking of sub-
literacy in formal. Belal (2014) investigated the influence of digital social media on the writing
and speaking of the tertiary level student. The study was conducted at eight private and public
universities in Bangladesh. Sixteen teachers and 160 students were chosen from five private
and three public universities in Bangladesh. The findings indicated that digital social media
influences tertiary level students' writing and speaking, with the positive effects outweighing
the adverse effects. The findings confirmed that students and teachers could create group
discussions to exchange ideas, share course-related materials, and appeal to their students
about assignments, which helps the students improve their writing and speaking skills.
However, the findings confirmed that digital social media has a negative impact. Students
unconsciously use short- form words, incorrect grammar, and sentence structure in their
formal writing and speaking, which is a result of their increased familiarity with those types of
language through digital social media.
Leman and Adamu (2021) also investigated the impact of social media English on the
communication patterns of university undergraduates in Nigeria's North-Central Zone. The
study used a sample size of 383 students. The findings revealed that the students were
engaged in using social media English, even in formal settings. Further research revealed that
social media English is preferred for communication among undergraduates. It was also
discovered that the undergraduates are quite addicted to the use of social media English,
which appears to have negatively impacted their communication patterns. The findings imply
that social media English is prevalent among undergraduates and that if usage is not limited,
graduates who do not know how to spell correctly or use proper English expressions, even in
formal situations, will be produced.
The usage of English language in social media
The use of language on social media sites is characterized by aspects of the language, to
name a few, emoticons, acronyms, and vocabulary alteration. Acronym is a feature of language
popularly used on social media. It is in which the initial letters of different words are put
together and pronounced as a whole sentence in an abbreviated form. Tayo, Adebola, and
Yahya (2019), states that the use of acronyms (abbreviation formed from the initial letters of
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other words are pronounced as a word) are now commonplace substitutes to whole sentence,
e.g.,
lol (Laugh out loud and TGIF (thank God it's Friday).
English Language used on social
media is a variety that is undeniably different from Standard English language of everyday
use. While Standard English is based on grammatical rules and accordance, language use on
social media is indeed a complete opposite where it does not abide by any grammatical rules
or accordance. Language use on social media is open to just any word for use as far as it
makes meaning to the recipient. Nevertheless, language use on social media is in fact
posturing a lot of threat to Standard English language usage as students nowadays don't take
the writing of Standard English as seriously as they should. Tertiary students are expected to
write and stay informed about what is happening around them. However, with social media,
this appears to no longer be the case. Many tertiary students now devote significant time to
online gossip and other trivial matters. Various studies have revealed that most students no
longer enjoy writing fiction (Imade, Elogie and Ikenwe 2016). Furthermore, numerous studies
have revealed that many students graduate from institutions with inadequate writing
abilities, attributing this to the poor culture they developed during their university days
(Anjugu, 2013). In most tertiary institutions, students do not cultivate the habit of writing,
and those who do write do so only to pass their exams (Tahir, Shah, et al. (2021).
METHODOLOGY
Procedure
Focus group discussions were used in this study to collect crucial data. This method is
used to get people's views and opinions on specific issues, for example, social media English
(Kumar, 1987). Eight group interviews were conducted at Redeemer's university. These eight
groups represented each department in the eight faculties (Engineering, Built Environmental
Studies, Natural Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Law, Humanities, Management Sciences and
Social Sciences). The departments are Mass Communication, English, Banking and Finance,
Biochemistry, Law, Computer Science, Estate Management and Civil Engineering. Each group
consisted of four participants, making a total number of 32 respondents. The rationale of the
focus group discussion method was explained to the respondents; more specifically, the
objectives of the study were clarified during the introduction sessions. The focus groups were
conducted in English and lasted approximately 40 -45 minutes.
Measurements
Adopting a structured FGD guide ensured that each focus group session followed a
consistent framework. The article's appendix contains a list of essential questions. The
interview began with an opening question from the moderator, who asked which social media
platforms the respondents were members of. This question aimed to get everyone talking and
provide an overview of how the respondents used social media sites. This question was not
meant to be included in the study. After the opening, a general introductory question asked
respondents to give an example of social media English they could remember. This question
aimed to ensure that the respondents were informed on the subject of the study.
Discussion
The first objective, examined the usage of abridged spellings by respondents to
communicate on social media, findings revealed that social media English are commonly used
among respondents. Lending credence to these findings, Belal (2014) asserts that a new
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means of online communication has emerged with its idiosyncrasies. This new
communication style occurs through the use of social media sites, and it is primarily seen and
common young people. The findings of this study also agree with Osakue, Oluranti et al.
(2018) that social media English or spellings have a significant effect on their users; most
addicted users unconsciously transfer it from social platforms to formal writings.
Conclusion
From the results gathered and analysed in this research work, it can be concluded that a
reasonable number of respondents are addicted to using social media English, which has
affected their spelling ability. This has affected their communication skills negatively, and
because the English language has been abused, it has also led to poor spelling ability among
the students. It can be concluded that students' motive for using social media to communicate
ranges from the fact that it consumes less time and is very addictive and compelling. Based on
the findings of this study, the researcher recommended that for students to achieve effective
communication, they should maintain the habit of clarity in their written communication
because communication cannot be comprehensible by using abridged spelling to
communicate. However, it will instead affect their writing skills. It is also recommended that
students should not depend on social media English with their accompanying spellings as the
only mode of communication that is easier and time effective but should realize its negative
influence on their writing skills.
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